Razorstrop guard



March 25, 1952 D. w. CHAMBERLAiN RAZORSTROP GUARD Filqd Dec. 18, 1950 Patented Mar. 25, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OF'FICE BAZORSTROP GUARD Dale W. Chamberlain, Oakland, Calif. Application December 18, 1950, Serial No. 201,460 9 Claims. (Cl. 51-200) This invention relates to improvements in guards for razor strops and provides a guard which is automatic in operation to guard the strop against dust, dirt, grease and moisture when the strop is not in actual use, the guard being retractable to clear the strop by the conventional method of grasping at the upper end and drawing back, tensioning the strop and stropping the razor, and releasing the strop when stropping is finished, the guard then automatically returning to cover the entire strop eterious substances. This guard also incorporates a cleaning medium which cooperates with the strop in both, the withdrawal and return movements of the guard.

The objects and advantages of the invention are as follows:

First, to provide a guard for a razor strop and which will protect the strop against deleterious substances when the strop is not in use.

Second, to provide a guard as outlined which is withdrawable by the conventional method of grasping the strop, with the guard returning to the full covering position when the strop is released.

Third, to provide a guard as outlined with compression springs for returning the guard to protective position when released, and to provide alignment maintaining means for the springs.

Fourth, to provide a guard as outlined with means for wiping the strop during the retractive and return movements of the guard.

In describing the invention reference will be had to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a section taken on line 2-2 of Fig. l, and shown on an enlarged scale.

Fig. 3 shows a modification of the invention with reference to the section 2--2 of Fig. 1, and shown on an enlarged scale.

Fig. 4 is a section taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a section taken on line 5-5. of Fig. 1 with the take-up mechanism shown in full view.

The invention, in its simplest form consists of a head H) which fits over one end I l of the razor strop l2 and which is suitably secured therein by suitable means such as a screw or rivet l3.

A sliding member I4 has ears l5 which engage the heads l6 of the fastening means l3 and which ears span the head I0, this member being in the form of a rectangular sleeve which clears the strop, and terminating in a projecting shoulder [1 which in turn is provided with side wings l8 for convenient grasping by the fingers in spanning position, and a depending collar I9 is to guard it against delprovided for attachment of the guard 20 which is formed of any suitable flexible material such as cloth, relatively thin rubber or plastic, merely providing a cover to exclude foreign material while being easy to retract.

A base member 2| is provided for the lower end with the lower end of the strop secured therein as indicated at 22, and this member also has a shoulder 23 with a flange 24 to which the other or lower end of the guard or protective sleeve is attached.

With this arrangement, the ears 15 only frictionally grip over the heads of the fastening means l3, so that the sliding member l4 need merely be pulled down, the strop tensioned, and when stropping is completed, the sliding member can be again drawn up until the ears snap over the heads of the fastening means.

Since it is desirable particularly in barber shops to have the guard return on its own, this is accomplished by either of two methods, that shown in Fig. 3 being the simpler. In this type, a tunnel 25 is formed along each side pf the guard, with the intervening portion 26 of the guard housing the strop. The sliding member i4 is modified to the extent of forming or fixing pilots 21 on the underside of the shoulders I! for centering the upper ends of the springs 28 and 29, while the base member 2| is similarly modified by forming or fixing pilots 30 on the upper side of the shoulder 23 for centering the lower ends of these springs, the flexible sleeve 3| being fixed at its upper and lower ends to the sliding member and the base member in the manner previously mentioned.

With this arrangement it is merely necessary to draw the sliding member down and tension the strop, and when stropping is finished, release the sliding member which will return to its original position through the urgence of the compression springs, drawing the sleeve over the strop.

This latter modification can be further modified as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 5, in which a plain sleeve 20 is used, the sliding member being provided with the spring centering pilot 21, and the base member having the pilot 30 formed of tubing, and extending upwardly to the height of the completely compressed springs, and with the base member having a sleeve 32 of equal height with the lower end 33 of the strop fixed therein as indicated at 22.

A reel housing 34 is dependent from the base member and has a pair of spring-urged reels 35 and 36 fixed on a pivot 31, and the spring-urging means is indicated as a light clock spring 38 mounted between the reels, with one end fixed to the pivot and the other end fixed to the housing as indicated at 39. The tubes 30 extend through the shoulders 23 and are formed to function as guides for the flexible cords 40 and 4| as indicated at 42 and 43, these cords having their lower ends fixed to the respective reels 35 and 36 and the upper ends fixed to or in the pilots 21 as indicated at 44. The tension of the spring 38 is just sufiicient to about balance the compression springs 28 and 29 when the sleeve and sliding member reach the head It) and function to keep the springs 28 and 29 in alignment.

As will be noted, when the sliding member is drawn down, the strop is clear of all obstructions, and during the withdrawal and return movements, a wiper 45 such as sponge rubber acts to clean the strop of any adhering materials, and the guard protects the strop from dust and other deleterious materials. Thus the strop is protected at all times except when actually being used for stropping a razor.

I claim:

1. A guard for a razor strop comprising a head to which the upper end of the strop is secured, a base to which the lower end of the strop is secured, a sliding member slidable on said strop, a flexible sleeve encompassing said strop and having its respective ends secured to said sliding member and said base, and means for supporting said sliding member in contact with said head to envelop the strop throughout its length by said sleeve, said sliding member with said sleeve being manually retractable to clear the strop for stropping a razor at will; said sliding member and said base having outwardly projecting shoulders, and compression springs cooperating between the shoulder on said base and on said sliding member and located on opposite sides of said strop, to return said sliding member to contact with said head and complete enclosure of the strop within said sleeve when the sliding member is manually released following withdrawal.

2. A guard for a razor strop comprising a head to which the upper end of the strop is secured, a base to which the lower end of the strop is secured, a sliding member slidable on said strop, a flexible sleeve encompassing said strop and having its respective ends secured to said sliding member and said base, and means for supporting said sliding member in contact with said head to envelop the strop throughout its length by said sleeve, said sliding member with said sleeve being manually retractable to clear the strop for stropping a razor at will; said sliding member and said base having outwardly projecting shoulders, and compression springs cooperating between the shoulders on said base and on said sliding member and located on opposite sides of said strop to return the sliding member to contact said head and complete enclosure of the strop within the sleeve when the sliding member is manually released following withdrawal, and means cooperating between said sliding member and said base and with said springs for maintaining alignment of said springs during withdrawal of the sliding member with consequent compression of the springs.

3. A guard for a razor strop comprising a head to which the upper end of the strop is secured, a base to which the lower end of the strop is secured, a sliding member slidable on said strop, a flexible sleeve encompassing said strop and having its respective ends secured to said sliding member and said base, and means for supporting said sliding member in contact with said head to envelop the strop throughout its length by said sleeve, said sliding member with said sleeve being manually retractable to clear the strop for stropping a razor at will said sliding member including wiping means secured therein to wipe the strop on both faces during withdrawal and return movements of the sliding member; said sliding member and said base having outwardly projecting shoulders, and compression springs cooperating between the shoulder on said base and on said sliding member and located on opposite sides of said strop, to return said sliding member to contact said head and complete enclosure of the strop within said sleeve when the sliding member is manually released following withdrawal.

4. A guard for a razor strop comprising a head to which the upper end of the strop is secured, a base to which the lower end of the strop is secured, a sliding member slidable on said strop, a flexible sleeve encompassing said strop and having its respective ends secured to said sliding member and said base, and means for supporting said sliding member in contact with said head to envelop the strop throughout its length by said sleeve, said sliding member with said sleeve being manually retractable to clear the strop for stropping a razor at will; said sliding member including wiping means secured therein to wipe the strop on both faces during withdrawal and return movements of the sliding member; said sliding member and said base having 0ut wardly projecting shoulders, and compression springs cooperating between the shoulders on said base and on said sliding member and located on opposite sides of said strop to return the sliding member to contact said head and complete enclosure of the strop within the sleeve when the sliding member is manually released following withdrawal, and means cooperating between said sliding member and said base and with said springs for maintaining alignment of said springs during withdrawal of the sliding member with consequent compression of the springs.

5. A guard for a razor strop comprising supporting means for the upper end of the strop, a sliding member slidable on said strop, a sleeve extending throughout the length of said strop and enveloping said strop and having one end fixed to the lower end of the strop and the other end fixed to said sleeve, and means for supporting said sliding member at the upper end of said strop with said sliding member being retractable manually to clear the strop for stropping a razor.

6. A structure as defined in claim 5; said supporting means comprising a head to which the upper end of the strop is secured, said means for supporting said sliding member comprising a compression spring on each side of said strop within said sleeve, a base member fixed to the lower end of said strop, said compression springs having their respective ends anchored to said base member and said sliding member and said springs urging said sliding member against said head.

7; A structure as defined in claim 5; said base member having a depending housing, a pair of reels mounted on the same axis in said housing, take-up means for said reels, and flexible members having their respective ends fixed to said sliding member and the respective reels, with the flexible members located within and extending throughout the lengths of the springs for maintaining said springs from buckling during retraction of the sliding member.

8. A structure as defined in claim 5; said supporting means comprising a head to which the upper end of the strop is secured, said means for supporting said sliding member comprising a compression spring on each side of said strop Within said sleeve, a base member fixed to the lower end of said strop, said compression springs having their respective ends anchored to said base member and said sliding member and said springs urging said sliding member against said head; said base member having a depending housing, a pair of reels mounted on the same axis in said housing, take-up means for said reels, and flexible members having their respective ends fixed to said sliding member and the respective reels, with the flexible members located within and extending throughout the lengths of the springs for maintaining said springs from buckling during retraction of the sliding member;

9. A structure as defined in claim 5; said supporting means comprising a head to which the upper end of the strop is secured, said means for supporting said sliding member comprising a compression spring on each side of said strop within said sleeve, a base member fixed to the lower end of said strop, said compression springs having their respective ends anchored to said base member and said sliding member and said springs urging said sliding member against said head; said base member having a depending housing, a pair of reels mounted on the same axis in said housing, take-up means for said reels, and fixible members having their respective ends fixed to said sliding member and the respective reels, with the flexible members located within and extending throughout the lengths of the springs for maintaining said springs from buckling during retraction of the sliding member; wiping means within said sliding member and contacting the respective faces of the strop for cleaning the strop during retraction and return movements.

DALE W. CHAMBERLAIN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 864,107 Phelan Aug. 20, 190? 2,281,223 Barron et al Apr. 2 8, 1942 

